Sports equipment caddy

ABSTRACT

A mobile sports equipment storage caddy for storing, organizing and displaying sports equipment. The mobile storage caddy includes a housing and the housing includes a bottom, a top opposite the bottom, and a side member, which is disposed between the top and the bottom. The mobile storage caddy includes a plurality of indentations that are symmetrically disposed around a perimeter of the housing and are sized to receive sports equipment. The mobile storage caddy can further include a base element, a rotating element, and a moving element.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a storage caddy for sportsequipment and more specifically to a mobile storage caddy for storing,organizing and displaying sports equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A wide variety of known sports equipment storage and display devicesgive no consideration for storing additional sports equipment andhousehold items. Such known devices typically involve small stationary2-dimensional storage racks, which inefficiently store equipment and mayhave limited space for additional sports equipment. Various immobileracks have been developed to support golf bags or other equipment foreither long term or short term storage. Long-term storage caddiesgenerally include racks designed with horizontally arranged slots, inwhich the racks store the equipment while not in use. Short term storagecaddies for golf bags generally include horizontal rails or “C” shapedracks that are provided with transverse extensions to individualseparate golf bags. Such devices are normally employed just before orafter use of the sports equipment.

In view of the above limitations for storing sports equipment, such asgolf bags or hockey sticks, it is desirable to have a device thatstores, displays and organizes one or more golf bags along with othertypes of sports equipment or household items, in a manner thatefficiently uses storage space while providing both indoor and outdoormobility. It is also desirable to provide a device that is not only lowcost, but may be constructed from light weight materials to facilitatemobility, as well as having additional storage space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a mobile storage caddy forefficiently storing, organizing and displaying sports equipment andhousehold items. The storage caddy has a housing that includes a bottom,a top opposite the bottom, and a side member disposed between the topand the bottom. The bottom has a front face and a rear face. The sidemember defines a perimeter of the housing. The storage caddy further hasone or more indentations disposed around the perimeter of the housing.The indentations are sized to receive at least an equipment bag or otherpiece of sports equipment. The storage caddy further has a base elementand the base element has a front face and a rear face. The front face ofthe base element coupled to the rear face of the bottom of the housing.

According to one aspect, the storage caddy has a housing that includes abottom, a top opposite the bottom, and a side member disposed betweenthe top and the bottom. The bottom has a front face and a rear face. Theside member defines a perimeter of the housing. The storage caddyfurther has one or more indentations disposed around the perimeter ofthe housing. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy can furtherinclude a rotating element. The rotating element is coupled to the rearface of the bottom of the housing and is coupled to the front face ofthe base element.

According to another aspect, the storage caddy has a housing thatincludes a bottom, a top opposite the bottom, and a side member disposedbetween the top and the bottom. The bottom has a front face and a rearface. The side member defines a perimeter of the housing. The storagecaddy further has one or more indentations disposed around the perimeterof the housing. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy can furtherinclude a moving element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention, and theattendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readilyunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary mobile equipment storagecaddy in accordance with the principles of the current invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention showinga locking mechanism to retain equipment within the mobile equipmentstorage caddy;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the mobile sports equipment storage caddy ofFIG. 2 showing the caddy deployed in an open position; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the mobilesports equipment storage caddy of the present invention showing a raisedlip and a storage cavity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawing figures in which like reference designatorsrefer to like elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 a sports equipmentstorage caddy constructed in accordance with the principles of thecurrent invention and designated generally as “10”. Sports equipmentstorage caddy 10 has a housing 12 that includes a bottom 14, a top 16opposite the bottom 14 and a side member 18 disposed between the top 16and the bottom 14. Side member 18 define a perimeter 20 of housing 12,an interior 22 of housing 12, and includes one or more indentations 24disposed about perimeter 20 of housing 12. Indentations 24 have a firstend near top 16 of housing 12 and a second end near bottom 14 of housing12. Indentations 24 are disposed around perimeter 20 of housing 12 andare configured to receive sports equipment such as golf bag or a ballbag. Housing 12 forms an axis 26 of symmetry about which the first endof indentations 24 can be angled and inclined toward axis 26.

Housing 12 is generally cone shaped with bottom 14 and top 16 beingsubstantially parallel to each other and being vertically offset by theside member 18. Housing 12 can be any shape that lends stability to thestructure and provides for easy access to indentations 24. As shown inFIG. 1, sports equipment storage caddy 10 can also have a base element28 and a rotating element 30. In FIG. 1, base element 28 and bottom 14of housing 12 can be coupled together by rotating element 30. Baseelement 28 and bottom 14 of housing 12 can have the same or very similarmaximum circumference. In general, top 16 can have a smallercircumference than the maximum circumference of bottom 14. However, theshape and size of bottom 14 and top 16 may vary. For example, a conicalhousing 12 can be coupled to a square bottom (not shown). The shape ofbottom 14, top 16 and base 28 may include but are not limited to acircle, a triangle, a square, a trapezoid, a pentagon, and a heptagon.Housing 12 may be fabricated from light weight materials such asplastic, rubber, fiberglass, a combination thereof or of similarmaterials.

In one embodiment, housing 12 can be formed at a height of approximately40 inches. However, the width of bottom 14 and top 16 of housing 12 canvary and can depend on accommodating different sports equipment, such asgolf bag, hockey stick, and base ball bat. In FIG. 1, the first end ofindentations 24 near top 16 being angled and inclined toward axis 26 sothat more than one indentations are close together at top 16 of housing12 while the second end of the indentations 24 are near bottom 14. Thisconfiguration can be symmetrical with respect to axis 26 with thehousing 12 and indentations 24 defining symmetrical axis 26. Thesedimensions and configurations are optional and variations are possible.

Indentations 24 may be formed at a height of approximately 40 inches orat a height similar to the height of housing 12. Also, indentations 24may be formed at a width and a depth of approximately 10-12 inches toaccommodate typical 8-9 inch oval top golf bag. However, the width anddepth of indentations 24 may vary and can depend on accommodatingdifferent sports equipment. For example, indentations 24 may be formedat a width and a depth of approximately 3-5 inches to accommodatesmall-sized sports equipment such as a hockey stick or a ball-bat.Indentations 24 having different width and depth may be mixed in thesame housing to accommodate different sports equipment in the samesports equipment storage caddy (not shown). Although any number ofindentations 24 may be molded or otherwise included on housing 12 toreceive as many golf bags or hockey sticks as desired, typical numbersof indentations 24 in housing 12 may be 3 to 6.

Housing 12 can rotate about its bottom 14 and can include a rotatingelement 30 that facilitates rotation. In FIG. 1, rotating element 30 canbe located at the junction of the bottom 14 of housing 12 and baseelement 28. This feature allows for access to all golf bags in thestorage caddy by simple rotation of housing 12. As shown in FIG. 1,bottom 14 of housing 12 can be coupled to rotating element 30. Rotatingelement 30 permits or restricts movement of housing 12 about base 28,and facilitates access to the equipment in the storage caddy. Rotatingelement 30 may be a disc or any device capable of supporting the weightof housing 12, and which facilitates the rotation of housing 12 aboutbase 28. Additionally, rotating element 30 may have a locking latch (notshown), which can restrict rotation.

Bottom 14 of base 28 can be coupled to a moving element 32. Movingelement 32 can be any device that provides mobility to the storage caddy10, e.g., wheels, rollers, skids or any other similar devices. Forexample, FIG. 1 shows that moving element 32 as a group of wheelsmounted to base 28. Moving element 32 may further have a locking feature(not shown), which restricts the moving element's mobility. The lockingfeature provides for immobilizing the storage caddy 10, once it is in aselected space.

FIG. 2 shows entrance 34 to interior 22 of housing 12. Entrance 34 canbe located at top 16 of housing 12. Entrance 34 may be located in anyposition that facilitates access to interior 22 of housing 12. Entrance34 may be coupled to or engaged to a locking element 36 that restrictsentry to interior 22 of housing 12. When locking element 36 disengagesentrance 34, housing 12 can be pivotally opened to facilitate access tointerior 22 of housing 12 as shown in FIG. 3. Housing 12 can include ahinge disposed about perimeter 20 to facilitate the opening and closingof entrance 34. The hinges can be any link, e.g., a cylindrical pin,spring, or swivel that enables housing 12 to extend outward from lockingelement 36. As shown in FIG. 3, when housing 12 is in an unlockedposition, housing 12 can hinge open, at approximately the mid-point ofthe height of housing 12, to allow access to the hollow interior 22 byway of entrance 34.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, housing 12 can include a raised lip 38, whichsurrounds or encircles bottom 14 of housing 12. Raised lip 38 can beutilized to store golf balls, hockey pucks, or other accessories. Raisedlip 38 can be any size or shape and can extend the entire length ofperimeter 20 of housing 12 near bottom 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, housing 12 may further include one or more storagecavities 40. Storage cavity 40 can be utilized to store golf, hockey, orsports accessories such as golf shoes or hockey skates. As shown in FIG.4, storage cavity 40 can be positioned at the juncture between housing12 and bottom 14. Storage cavity 40 can be located on the side element18 of housing 12. As shown in FIG. 4, the shape and volume of storagecavity 40 typically can be proportional to that of housing 12. However,the shape and volume of storage cavity 40 may be variable as well.

Perimeter 20 of housing 12 may further include one or more openings 42.Openings 42 can be any size, shape or depth. For example, FIG. 4 showsan umbrella 46 situated inside opening 42. However, opening 42 may alsobe a sufficient size and depth to situate a hockey stick, polo stick, orother sports equipment. Opening 42 extends from perimeter 20 of housing12 towards interior 22 of housing 12. Opening 42 may be filled withsports accessories, such as a golf club or a hockey stick, or householditems such as an umbrella.

As shown in FIG. 4, one or more adhesive fasteners or straps 44 can beattached to side element of housing 12 to secure golf bags or hockeysticks within the indentations 24. Straps 44 may be constructed of anylight weight material. For example, the straps 44 are adjustable and maybe made of Velcro®, but any other releasably engaging element may beused to secure golf bags or other sports equipment within indentations24.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the presentinvention is not limited to what has been particularly shown anddescribed herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above tothe contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawingsare not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possiblein light of the above teachings without departing from the scope andspirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.

1. A mobile sports equipment storage caddy comprising: a housing, thehousing including a bottom, a top opposite the bottom, and a side memberdisposed between the top and the bottom, the bottom having a front faceand a rear face, the side member defining a perimeter of the housing;and a plurality of indentations symmetrically disposed around theperimeter of the housing, the plurality of indentations sized to receivesports equipment.
 2. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy of claim1, further comprising a base element, the base element having a frontface and a rear face, the front face of the base element coupled to therear face of the bottom of the housing.
 3. The mobile sports equipmentstorage caddy of claim 2, further comprising a rotating element, therotating element coupled to the rear face of the bottom of the housingand coupled to the front face of the base element.
 4. The mobile sportsequipment storage caddy of claim 2, further comprising a moving element,the moving element coupled to the rear face of the base element.
 5. Themobile sports equipment storage caddy of claim 1, further comprising anentrance to an interior of the housing.
 6. The mobile sports equipmentstorage caddy of claim 5, further comprising a locking element coupledto the entrance.
 7. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy of claim1, wherein at least one of the plurality of indentations is sized toreceive a golf bag.
 8. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of indentations is sizedto receive a hockey stick.
 9. The mobile sports equipment storage caddyof claim 1, further comprising a storage cavity located near the bottomof the housing.
 10. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy of claim1, wherein the housing has at least one opening sized to receive anumbrella.
 11. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy of claim 1,further comprising an adhesive fastener coupled to the housing andpositioned near the indentations.
 12. The mobile sports equipmentstorage caddy of claim 1, further comprising a raised lip at the bottomof the housing.
 13. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy of claim1, wherein the housing forms a cone shape.
 14. The mobile sportsequipment storage caddy of claim 1, wherein the width of the bottom isgreater than the width of the top.
 15. A mobile sports equipment storagecaddy comprising: a housing, the housing including a bottom, a topopposite the bottom, and a side member disposed between the top and thebottom, the bottom having a front face and a rear face, the side memberdefining a perimeter of the housing; a plurality of indentationsdisposed around the perimeter of the housing, the plurality ofindentations sized to receive at least an equipment bag; a base element,the base element having a front face and a rear face, the front face ofthe base element coupled to the rear face of the bottom of the housing;and a rotating element, the rotating element coupled to the rear face ofthe bottom of the housing and coupled to the front face of the baseelement.
 16. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy of claim 15,further comprising a raised lip at the bottom of the housing.
 17. Themobile sports equipment storage caddy of claim 15, wherein the width ofthe bottom is greater than the width of the top.
 18. A mobile sportsequipment storage caddy comprising: a housing, the housing including abottom, a top opposite the bottom, and a side member disposed betweenthe top and the bottom, the bottom having a front face and a rear face,the side member defining a perimeter of the housing; a plurality ofindentations disposed around the perimeter of the housing, the pluralityof indentations sized to receive at least an equipment bag; a baseelement, the base element having a front face and a rear face, the frontface of the base element coupled to a rear face of the bottom of thehousing; and a moving element, the moving element coupled to the rearface of the base element.
 19. The mobile sports equipment storage caddyof claim 18, further comprising a raised lip at the bottom of thehousing.
 20. The mobile sports equipment storage caddy of claim 18,wherein the width of the bottom is greater than the width of the top.